Detector for wireless telegraphy and telephony.



R. P. WILLIAMS. DETECTOR FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY AND TELEPHONY. APPLIOATION'TILBD A'LTG. 24, 1910 1 ,048, 1 1 '7 E Patented Dec. 24,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. P. WILLIAMS. 7 DETEGTQR FOR WIRELESS TELBGRAPHY AND TELEPHONY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 24. 1910.

Patented D6024, 1912..

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

7 fizz/@750 074/1 7". 4 Y

i 72M i 4 M R. F.- WILLIAMS.

DETECTOR FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY AND TELEPHONY. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24. 1910.

1 ,048, 1 1 7, Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;-

' ROGER IF. WILLIAMS, 0]? BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO MARTIN L. FAILING, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

DETECTOR FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ANN TELEPHONY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

Application filed August 24, 1910. Serial No. 578,696.

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that I, Room: F. VVILLIAMS, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Detectors for lVi-reless Telegraphy and Telephony, of which the following is a specification.

When operating a wireless telegraph or telephone apparatus the tern'iinals of the detector are usually separated and the receivers are short-circuited or cut-out, so as' to prevent burning out or m] ury of the de-' turbed and required re-adjustment after each sending operation to. produce the best results, thereby causing interruptioi'i and delay in the transmission of messages. Furthermore, in these prior detectors the means for moving the detector terminals and the means for cutting the receivers into or out of circuit were entirely independent from each other and necessitated separate operations for placing the .same into one or another relation to the rest of the apparatus,

thereby necessitating greater care in the proper manipulation of the apparatus.

The object of this invention is the production of simple, convenient and efficient means 'whereby the detector terminals may be quickly separated and the receivers cut out preparatory to sending a message and the terminals of the detector may be again brought together and the receivers again placed in operation after sending a inessagepreparatory to. receiving a message without causing any disturbance in the adjustment of the detector terminals, thereby avoiding interruption and delay in wireless telegraphic or telephonic communication.

My invention has the further object to so construct the detector that the operation of 'moving the detector terminals toward and from each other and rendering the receivers operative or inoperatlve 1s eifected simultaneously and by the same movement of the operator.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 3 sheets: Figure-1 is a top plan view of a detector embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof in line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the upper base section and associated parts. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section in line 44, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the detector showing the, electric connections.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view, on'an enlarged scale, showing a modification of the means for supporting the detector block. Fig. 7

IS a vertical section of the same in line 77, Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary sectional elevations showing other forms of terminals. I

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. I

The apparatus is provided with a base which may be of any suitable construction, but as shown in th drawings the same comprises upper and lowersections A, A of insulating material, such as marble or rubber, these sections being secured to each other and to a support by means of screws a, as shown, or otherwlse. The opposing surfaces of the base sections are constructed to form a chamber or cavity B between them for the reception of parts to be presentlydescribed.

C represents a post or standard secured at its lower end to the upper base section.

D represents a horizontal arm provided at its inner or rear end with a sleeve 03 which is capable of sliding vertically on the upper end of the standard C and is held in thedesired position thereon by a set screwcZK At its front or outer end the arm D is pjrovlided with an internally screw threaded socket E in which is arranged a vertically adjustable sleeve F having an external screw thread engaging with the thread of the socket and also provided with an internal screw thread. The adjusting sleeve F may be turned by means of a thumb piece, knob or disk f secured to the upper end of the same. After adjustment the sleeve F is held in place by a set screw f arranged in the side of the socket and hearing against the side of the adjusting sleeve, as shown in Fig. 2. IVithin the adjusting sleeve F is arranged a detector point or needle G which has an external screw thread engagingwith the internal thread of the ad- ]ustlng sleeve and a knob, button or finger piece 9 at its upper end for turning and adusting the same.

H represents the detector block with which the lower end of the detector point engages and which may consist of silicon or other suitable material. The detector block may'be supported in any suitable manner so as to be capable of movement toward and from the detector point. The means for this purpose shown in Figs. 2, t and comprise a holder having a socket or pocket J which receives the detector block, and a plurality of set screws 5 arranged in the side of the pocket and bearing against diiierent parts of the detector block. The detector block may also be dctachably secured inthe socket mon use and furnished by the trade ready for use. To permitthis cup to be readily inserted in the socket of the holder or removed therefrom, a plurality of curved spring clamping jaws K are provided which are arranged in an annular row and each of which is secured at its outer end to the inner side of the cylindrical wall of the holder and curves from its attached end inwardly and circurnterentially toward its free end in the form of a partial volute. At its inner end each spring jaw is provided'with. an upwardly and outwardly projecting inclined or curved.

uideliu in. Nor-mall the several clamnin ca y l Jaws when tree are arranged with their'inner ends close together, so that they form a contracted seat or nest. When is is desired to apply a detector block supporting cup to the holder this cup is pressed with its convex underside downwardly between the guide lugs of the clamping jaws, whereby the latter are spread and permit the detectorcup to pass between the jaws after which the re silience ot the jaws holds the cup in place. The detector block and its cup can be easily removed by simply lifting it out of frictional engagement with the jaws. By this means the detector block can be quickly put in or removed from the apparatus and replaced by another, thereby avoiding prolonged interruption in the use of the apparatus which at times is exceedingly impontant.

The detector block holder is mounted on the upper end of an upright guide or slide rod L which projects at its lower end through an opening in the top section of the base into the chamber or cavity thereof and which is mean? guided between itsends in a guide way Z secured to the top or" the base. The guide rod and way are preferably cylindrical and the rod is held against turning in the way, preferably, by means of a spline m arranged on the way and projecting into a longitudinal groove m in the slide or guide l'Oll. The slide rod and the parts associated therewith are yieldingly held in an elevated position tor engaging the detector bloclr with the detector point by means of a spring N which surrounds the guide way and bears at its upper and lower ends against the underside of the holder soclrct and the base of said guide way, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4t. liy'thus preventing turning of the holder the detector block is not displaced circumfercutially relatively to the detector point when moving the block toward and from the point, thereby avoiding disturbance in the adjustment of the detector; after the same has been properly set.

The depression of the detector block is preferably oil'ected by means of a horizoutally movable wedge arranged in the chamher or cavity of the base. This wedge is preferably constructed in the form of a plate 0 arranged between the underside of the upper base section andthe upper side of a shoulder on the guide rod formed by a cross piece 0 thereon and provided with a longitudinal slot 7) through which said guide rod projects and also provided on its underside on opposite sides of the slot and guide rod with two'inclincd tacos p 7) in line with the ends of said cross piccc. Upon moving the wedge backwardly its inclined faces clear the cross piece and permit the spring N to elevate the detector block. into contact with the detector point but when the wedge is pushed forwardly its inclined faces by engaging the cross piece depress the detector block out of engagement from the detector point. This forward and backward movement of the wedge is cilectcd by means of a slide Q reciprocating horizontally within the chamber of the baseand provided with a finger pieceor handle which projects'upwardly through a longitudinal slot in the upper Section of the base.

The standard C 1s electricallyconnected with one side of the main circuit of the who less telegraph system, so that the detector block forms the terminal of this side of said circuit. This connection preferably in clud'es a binding post 1 arranged on one corner of the base. The guide rod L is electrically connected with the opposite side .ot' the wireless telegraph or telephone system. this connection preferably including a binding post 8 arranged on another corner of the base.

hen the detector block is engaged with the point the main circuit of this stationiis closed through. the detector and the latter responds to the electrical undulations produced in the main circuit by the sending of a message at another station. But when the detector block and point are separated the main circuit through these parts is bro-ken, thereby preventing the same from being burnt or otherwise affected by the electric current upon sending a message at the local station, which burning would disturb the adjustment of these terminals relatively to each other and necessitatere-adjustment. When the detector block and point are in contact with each other, the message represented by the electrical undulations which influence said block and point are translated, so that they are audible by means of one or more telephonic receivers T which are arranged in a shunt circuit around the main circuit. Aswitch is provided whereby this shunt circuit may either be electrically connected or disconnected between the receivers and the detector, so as to either short circuit or cut out the receivers or leave this shunt circuit long and cut in the receivers. The

with the means which move-the detector block and point toward and from each other, so that when the detector block and point are separated preparatory to sending a message the receivers will be cut out at the same time, while upon engaging the detector block and point with each other preparatory to receiving a message the receivers will be cut in circuit. This is preferably accomplished by constructing the slide Q and wedge of metal and providing this slide with a bridge contact U which engages at one end permanently with a shunt contact u on one side of the receivers while its opposite end is movable into and out of engagement with a shunt contact a on the opposite side of the receivers. ,For convenience the connections of the shunt circuit include binding posts 1;, e on opposite sides of the receivers which posts are preferably connected with the contacts u, 24 respectively, and arranged on the other corners of the base.

The finger piece or handle 9 preferably passes through a slot to formed in the shunt contact m line with the slot in the base.

- When the slide Q is pushed backwardly to receivers are cut "out or short circuited and injury to the detector and receivers is prevented.

In adjusting the detector, the detector point is shifted approximately to the desired position by raising and lowering the arm D on the post (I or raising or lowering the sleeve F in the socket E. The line adjustment of the detector is eil'ected by raising or lowering the point G in the sleeve F for which purpose the screw threads between said point and sleeve are made finer than between the said sleeve and its socket. By raising and lowering the point the pressure of the same against the detector block may be varied inasmuch as the spring N is strained more or less, thereby enabling the detector to be adjusted to obtain the best results under different conditions.

When the detector block is lowered during the time of sending a message the same can be again restored exactly to its former position for resuming listening at the receivers and takinga message without necessitating re-adjustment of any parts of the detector.

Instead of employing a needle G and a block H ;as the detector terminals or elements the lower terminal may consist of a piece of ore H which is secured. in the holder J by'means of the screws j and the upper terminal G .wliich engages with the lower terminal mayalso consist of a piece of ore which is held by screws f in a cupshaped holder f on the lower end of an adjusting rod F as shown in Fig. 8. My invehtion is also applicable to an electrolytic detector in which the lower terminal. consists of a carbon cup II secured in the holder J by spring jaws K and containing a quantity ofacid II, the upper termiualconsists ofa needle (l mounted on the rod F and dipping at its lower end into the acid Within the carbon cup.

In the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the lower terminals are disengaged from the upper terminals when cutting out the 2. In a detector for wireless telegraphy or telephony, a detector terminal, and a holder for said terminal comprising a socket, and a plurality of springs each of which is attached at one end to said socket while its free end is provided with an outwardly projecting guide lug which engages the side of said terminal and each of said springs having the form of a partial volute and extending circumferentially around said socket.

3. A detector for wireless telegraphy or telephony comprising an upper terminal, a

lower terminal, and means for moving said lower terminal toward and from said upper terminal. comprising a holder supporting said lower terminal and having a. guide rod, a guide Way in which said rod moves, a spring operating to move said holder in the direction for engaging said terminals, and a wedge adapted to engage a shoulder on said rod and move the holder in the direc- ,tion for disen evin said terminals.

l. A detector for wireless telegraphy or telephony, comprising two terminals connected. with opposite sides of the detector circuit, at shunt circuit arranged around the main circuit and adapted to include receivers, e spring device for moving one of said terminals against the other, a, wedge device for separating said terminals, and s switch associated with said Wedge device and operating to bridge said shunt circuit end out out said receivers when the detector terminals are in engagement and to cut in said receivers when the detector terminals are out of engagement. i

5. A detector for Wireless tele reoh or ntent telephony; comprising two terminals connected with opposite sides of the detector circuit, e shunt circuit errnnged around a main circuit and adopted to include 're- CGlVGIS, a holder for supporting one of said terminals and provided with a rod, a spring for moving said holder in the direction for engaging its terminal with the other terminal, a movable wedge adapted to engage e shoulder on said rod and move the holder in the direction for disengaging the terminals, a slide connecting with the wedge and provided with e handle, shunt contacts arranged on opposite sides of said shunt circuit between the receivers and the main circuit,'end

.e bridge contact inovable with said slide end adapted to connect and disconnect said shunt contacts. 1

Witness my hand this 23rd day of August, 1910.

noose F. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

Tnnou L. Pow, Anne linnns. 

